Machine for making gelatine films and printing therefrom



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A. H. SPAULDING. MACHINE FOR MAKING GELATINE FIIMS AND PRINTING THEREFROM.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.Z3. I9I9.

Patented. May 23, 1922..

4 SHEETS-SHEET I.

A. H. SPAULDING. MACHINE FOR MAKING GELATINE FILMS AND PRINTING ,THE REFRO'I/I.

APPLICATION FILED AUG,23, I919- Patented May 2?, 1922 4 SHEETSSHEET 2.

lhuerziq A. H. SPAULDING. MACHINE FOR MAKING GELATINE FILMS AND PRINTING THEREFRDIVI. I

APPLICATION FILED AUG.23,1919.

1A1 @858. tented M y 23, I922. 4 SHEETSSHEET 3.

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each copy and the ARGHIBALD H. SPAULDING, 0F HINGHAM, MASSACHUSETTS.

MACHINE,FOR. MAKING GELATINE FILMS AND PRINTING THEREFROM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 23, 1922.

Application filed August 23, 1919. Serial No. 319,519.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, AROHIBALD H. SPAUL-n- ING, a citizen of the United States, residing .at Hingham, inthe county of Plymouth and State of Masaschusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Machines for Making Gelatine Films and Printing-Therefrom, of which the following is a specification. I i

This. invention relates to means for practising a well known process of printing reproductions of original drawings made on tracing cloth, paper, or other thin material, the reproduction being printed from a moist gelatine film, the action of which is similar to that of a lithographic stone, inthat its surface is adapted to receive a facsimile of the lines of the drawing to be reproduced, said lines being adapted to absorb printers ink, andsurrounded by surfaces which repel the ink, so that reproductions may be made by an operation resembling lithography. The process prior to my invention has been practised as follows:

Hot melted gelatine is poured on to an inclined flat surface, (glass or metal), which is then brought to a level. When the gelatine film has reached the proper degree of hardness an unwashed blue print (known as a transfer print) made from a tracing, is

momentarily pressed in contact with the gelatine film, with the chemical side of the print next to the g'elat'ine film. A chemical reaction takes place which renders the gelatine, at the parts representing the lines and figuresof the original tracing, insoluble, so

that greasy ink will adhere to those parts andbe repelled by' the rest of'the surface. Printers ink is applied to the film by means of a composition printers roller. When the gelatine plate has thus been inked the print is obtained by pressing the sheet of paper or cloth by hand into intimate contact with the film, and then pulling it away again. For additional copies the plate is reinked for prints made and removed as above described.

As practised heretofore, the process is crude and requires a great deal of labor and skill to produce uniform and perfect results.

be successfully practised in the summer months.

The machine of my invention is intended and adapted to enable the process to be performed more rapidly and with better results than heretofore, the operation of the machine requiring less skill and labor on the part of the operator.

The invention is embodied in the improvements which I will now proceed to. describe and claim.

Of the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification,-

Figure lis a front elevation of a printing machine embodying the invention, parts being broken away.

Figure 2 is an end elevation of the same.

Figure 3 is a section on line 33 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a section on line 44: of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary view similar to parts of Figure 3, showing a modification.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all of the figures.

In the drawings, 12 represents a cylinder journaled to rotate in" fixed bearings 13 and 14, on a supporting frame, parts of which are hereinafter specified. The cylinder may be rotated by any suitable means, the preferred means being embodied in an electric motor 15fixed to a bracket 16 on the frame, a shaft 17 journaled in bearings 19 on the frame and provided with a worm 20 meshingwith a worm gear 21 fixed to the cylinder, and connections between the shaft 17 and the motor shaft 22 comprising pulleys 23 and 24 fixed to said shafts, and a belt 25 connecting said pulleys.

The machine includes means for applying a gelatine film to the periphery of the cylinder, said means being preferably embodied in a trough 27 located below the cylinder and having slides 28 which are movable on fixed guides 30 forming parts of the frame. The trough is so formed that when raised, as shown by Figures 2 and 4., it receives the lower portion of the cylinder, and presents liquefied material 31, (Figure 4), such as melted gelatine, to the periphery of the cylinder, the rotation of the latter causing its periphery to take up a film of suitable thickness.

The trough may be raised and lowered by manually operable means including a rockshaft 32 journaled in bearings 33 on the frame, cam-shaped arms 34 fixed to said shaft,and bearing on anti-friction rolls 35 on the bottom of the through, a hand-wheel 36 on a shaft 37, journale-d in a bearing on the frame, the shaft 37 being provided with a pinion 38, and a gear 39 fixed to the rockshaft 32, and mesing with the pinion 38. Rotation of the hand-wheel in one direction causes the cam-shaped arms 34 to raise the trough, and rotation of'the hand-wheel in the opposite direction permits the trough to descend.

The trough 27 is preferably provided with heating means adapted to maintain the body of gelatine in asuitably fluid condition. Said means may be embodied in a jacket 50 adapted to hold water in contact with the bottom and sides of the trough, and a steam pipe 51 extending through the jacket. The ends of said pipe may be provided with flexible conduits (not shown) to supply steam to the pipe, and to conduct therefrom exhaust stem and water of condensation.

The cylinder 12 may be provided with any suitable means for cooling its periphery and suitably setting the film applied thereto.

As here shown the cylinder is hollow and pro- 'vi-ded with tubular trunnions 53 and 54 communicating with the interior of the cylinder, said trunnions constituting the journals of the cylinder. A circulating system is provided for causing a cooling fluid to flow through the cylinder, said system being embodied in a rotary pump which may be driven by the motor 15 through suitable connections (not shown), the casing of the pump being shown at 56, a flow conduit 57 extending from the discharge outlet of the casing 56 to the trunnion 53, and a return conduit extending from the trunnion 54 to the intake of the pump casing. The return conduit includes an enlarged member 58 having an inlet 59, in which the outer end of the trunnion 54 is rotatable, and members 60 and 61 connecting the member 58 with the pump intake. The member 58 is provided with a jacket 61 adapted to hold refrigerating material, such as ice, around the said member. The bores of the trunnions 53 and 54 are relatively arranged as shown by Figure 4, to cause the cooling fluid to overflow from the cylinder through the trunnion 54, the lower portion of the cylinder being filled by said fluid.

63 represents a pressure roll journaled to rotate loosely in bearings in an oscillatory carrier formed by two levers 64, fulcrumed at 65 on portions of the frame, the roll being movab-ly held by its own weight in contact with the cylinder. The rear arms of said levers are provided with weights 66, which partially counterbalance the pressure roll 63 and enable it to be easily raised and separated from the periphery of the cylinder 12, as shown by Figures 2 and 3. A treadle composed of levers 68, fulcrumed at 69 on the frame, and a cross-bar 70 connecting said levers, is connected by connecting-rods 71 with the carrier levers 64, the arrangement being such that the operator by applying his foot to the cross-bar 70, may move the treadle in the direction required to move the carrier and separate the roll 63 from the periphery of the cylinder. The. carrier may be locked when the roll is separated from the cylinder, by a detent 74, pivoted at 75, to 'a bracket 79 on the frame, and having a hooked end '76 adapted to engage the crossbar 70 of the treadle, the detent being held in engagement with said cross-bar by a spring 77.

The levers 64 forming the pressure roll carrier may be provided with slotted ears 80, forming bearings for a mandrel 81, on which a web of paper, or other material to be printed upon, is wound.

An inking roll 84 may be detaohably mounted on the frame, as shown by Figures 3 and 4, said roll being journaled in handled arms 85 having studs 86 adapted to engage slotted brackets 87 on the frame.

The operation is as follows:

. Vhen the cooled cylinder is being rotated, the trough containing hot melted gelatine is raised to present the gelatine to the cylinder, and held raised until the periphery of the cylinder takes up a film of suitable thick.- ness, the trough being then lowered. After the film has been suitably set by the cooled periphery, the unwashed blue print is momentarily pressed against the film with the chemical side of the print in contact with the film, the chemical reaction mentioned at the beginning of this specification being thus caused. The pressure roll 63 is released by the displacement of the detent 74 and caused to press the blue print against the film. The pressure roll is then raised, the

blue print removed, and the now completed.

film is inked by the inking roller 84. The print or reproduction is then made by feed ing sheet material, such as paper or tracing cloth, from the roll 82 under the pressure roll, which is again lowered and pressed against the sheet material. while the print is being made, the printed sheet material being progressively printedand pulled off as fast as it is'printed.

In order to prevent the Web to be printed on from sagging and coming in contact with the gelatine on the drum with a consequent distortion and wrinkling of said web, the roll 82 is located in close proximity and in a position relative to the pressure roller 63 so that the web will be held firmly in 'web against the gelatine to take the impression. As shown in Figure 3, I have located it with its axis on the common line through the point of ta-ngency of the roller with the cylinder and the center of the roller, but the roller may be located in any position relative to roller 63, either to the right or left of the position shown that will accomplish the above named purpose.

Instead of applying'the gelatine to the cylinder by raising the trough as described, I may pass a web or sheet 90 of suitable material, such as paper, through the trough, and wind the sheet on the cylinder, as indicated by Figure 5, which shows the sheet 90 rolled on a mandrel 91 j ournaled in hearings on the frame, a guide roll 92 on the frame, over which the sheet passes, and a guide roll 93, immersed in the gelatine in the trough. The sheet passes under the roll 93 and its leading-end is suitably secured to the cylinder and wound upon the periphery thereof, the paper thus wound being severed at the proper point. r

An arcuate screen 95 .may be employed to protect a portion of the cooled surface of the film, by forming a space 96 (Figure 3) containing air'w hich is stagnant, and reduces to a minimum the absorption of heat by thefilm and'the resulting precipitation of moisture on said film. One end of said screen is preferably hinged at 97 to the;

means for maintaining said cylinder at a constant temperature comprising refrigerating means, and a screen, said screen being supported by the frame, said screen being formed to partially surround the cylinder to protect the same against the influence of the outside air.

2. In a printing machine of the character stated comprising a supporting frame and a rotary cylinder journalled in said frame, means for maintalmng said cyhnder at a constant temperature comprising refrigerating means, and a screen supported by the frame, said screen being formed to partially surround the cylinder to protect the same against the influence of .the outside air, said screen being removable.

3. In a printing machine of the character stated comprising a supporting frame, a r0- tary cylinder journalled in said frame, means for maintaining said cylinder at a constant temperature, and a screen supported by the frame, said screen being formed to partially surround the cylinder to protect the same against the influence of the outside air, the screen being pivotally mounted so as to adapt it to be swung aside.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature.

ARCHIBALD H. SPAULDING. 

